Skateboard Shoes: A Survey of Attitudes and Practices
Skateboarding is not only a sport. Over the years it has created a unique culture with a large emphasis on style. A major component of this skateboarding style is specific skateboarding shoes. Skateboarding shoes are typically flat-bottomed and lightweight. In our observation, research on the shoes themselves is essentially nonexistent, but there are articles describing the physical forces those shoes encounter, as well as injuries skateboarders commonly sustain.1,2 After interviewing workers at Cowtown Skateboards, a local skateboard shop, it became clear to our team that there was dissatisfaction throughout the skateboarding community when it comes to skateboarding shoes. We commonly heard them say that the shoes lacked durability and are too narrow. They also commented that skateboarding shoes need more heel protection and a better focus on comfort without losing style.
The authors decided to investigate how to improve skateboarding shoes to provide better stability and durability without compromising on the style expected within the skateboarding culture and community. To accomplish this, the authors thought it best to first survey skateboarders regarding their practices and attitudes toward the shoes currently available. There appears to be a need for conducted research to determine skateboarders’ impressions on what, if any, improvements on the fit, comfort, durability and style should be. According to Skate Review, a website featuring skateboarding statistics, there are more than 20 million skateboarders internationally with about 9 million in the United States alone.3 The number continues to rise as the popularity of skateboarding increases,3 evidenced by the inclusion of skateboarding in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for the first time.
We feel this publication is important as well as unique, in that currently, to the best of our knowledge, there have been no publications relating to skateboard shoes, instead, published content seems to focus solely on injuries. Here, we will review foundational information on skateboarding shoes to inspire further learning, and the results of our survey.
Important Historical Considerations of the Sport and the Shoes
Commercially, skateboards arrived on the scene around 1959 and indeed, author DJ was one of those who, in the mid-1960s, created their own skateboard from a piece of plywood and wheels salvaged from old roller skates. The allure began with the surfing craze of the time, bolstered by the popularity of the Beach Boys. Very early participation in skateboarding was coined “sidewalk surfing,” with a 1964 hit “Sidewalk Surfin’” by Jan and Dean.
Despite quality manufactured skateboards by such companies as Makaha and Hobie, overall popularity of skateboarding declined in the mid-1960s. In the 1970s, introduction of high-quality polyurethane wheels resulted in higher speeds and maneuverability, which in turn, led to a resurgence of interest in the sport.4,5 Parks designed for skateboarding began popping up worldwide and introduced varied and challenging surfaces for riders. These surfaces included vertical drops and U-shaped configurations that made it possible to incorporate airborne stunts. A distinct culture of individualism, daring, and wardrobe, among others, began evolving among serious skateboarders. In 1995, ESPN broadcast of the X Games featured alternative sports competitions, including skateboarding. The resulting robust audience reflected the popularity skateboarding enjoys today. Indeed, skateboarding exemplified this popularity and legitimacy, as previously mentioned, with its inclusion in the 2020 Toyko Olympic Games.4,5
Given that the earliest skateboarding activity emulated actual surfing when waves were not available, skateboarding was originally a shoeless sport! After enough episodes of damaged toenails, skateboarders decided to don shoe gear. The shoes worn by the earliest skateboarders were, for the most part, the athletic shoe gear of the day, primarily Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars.6 This shoe features thin soles and a canvas upper. However, 1965 brought the first ever shoe designed and marketed for skateboarding, the Randy 720, from the Randolph Shoe Company.
In 1966, the Van Doran Rubber Company developed a deck shoe with canvas upper and a waffle sole. This company would eventually be known as Vans, which, in 1976, introduced the first skateboard shoe designed by skateboarders, still popular today, the Vans ERA. The introduction of tricks in the 1980s, like the ollie, brought new challenges in the wear and tear on skateboarders’ shoes. In 1987, it seemed everyone was wearing Jordan 1 Highs and in the late 1980s, when shoe companies began sponsoring skateboarders, Converse Chuck Taylors reentered the market. Although Converse no longer caters to elite basketball players, the company has continually evolved and carved a niche among musicians, artists, and those favoring a retro and/or casual style.6,7
Understanding Skateboard Shoe Style and Engineering
Skateboarding shoes play a vital roles, from providing the proper and necessary grip when cruising, to the support needed during high-impact tricks. Skaters prioritize different features in their shoes depending on the style of skating. There are 3 main components of the skate shoe, the construction, the skate shoe type, and the shoe material.
There are 2 main constructions of a skate shoe; cupsole and vulcanized. A cupsole construction has a thicker rubber outsole, making it more durable providing shock absorption. This shoe construction is best for skaters doing high-impact tricks off large obstacles. However, this protection comes at the expense of shoe flexibility. This construction type is more difficult to break in and the skaters have less board feel. If the skater is looking to cruise, do tricks on flat ground, or for an aesthetic, low-profile design, the vulcanized construction is preferred. Vulcanized skate shoes are lighter, flexible, easier to break in, and provide a greater board feel. However, these features are at the expense of protection and durability.8,9
The type of skate shoe can also determine the level of support, like presence or absence of ankle protection, joint mobility and flexibility, and contribution to the skater’s speed, agility, and comfort. There are 4 types to choose from: high-top, mid-top, low-top, and slip-ons.8,9 High-top and mid-top skate shoes offer a higher level of ankle support and provide a more secure fit, but are more rigid with less ankle mobility. Low-top and slip-on styles offer less ankle support but allow the athlete to better control speed and agility. Slip-ons are convenient and prioritize board feel and control; however, they are less stable than traditional lace-up shoes.8,9
Lastly, shoe material is important for both performance and longevity of skate shoes, and are typically canvas, leather, and/or suede. Each material provides different pros and cons depending on personal preference. Canvas is breathable, but lacks durability. It’s best for cruising and non–high impact tricks. Leather is not breathable, but is durable. Suede is the most popular material, as it sits between canvas and leather in terms of breathability and durability.8,9
More on Skateboarding Styles
There are many things to consider when selecting a shoe that fits best for the skater, but it ultimately depends on individual preference and skating style. The 7 major styles of skateboarding are park, street, freestyle, vert, downhill, cruising, and off-road.10 Park and street competitions were the main categories that debuted at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.11 The difference between park and street skateboarding is that park skateboarding has a dedicated skating space. Park skateboarding takes place in purpose-built skate parks where there may be half-pipes, quarter-pipes, pools, bowls, vert ramps, and many other skateable objects. Street skateboarding consists of urban obstacles like stairs, drainage ditches, park benches, and other forms of street furniture.10 Freestyle skateboarding is the oldest style skateboarding, developed as a form of transportation. Now it has evolved into a style where skaters perform flat ground maneuvers like ollies, shove-its, manuals, and other complicated tricks.10,11
Vert skateboarding is an aerial style where the skaters transition from a horizontal position to a vertical position, skating off the edges of the board, catching air to perform various tricks. Downhill and cruising skateboarding work best on a longboard. Downhill skateboarding deals with speed on a decline. Understanding the aerodynamic technicalities of this style is important. That way, the skater can control the board and improve their downhill skating ability.11 In cruising skateboarding, the skater will ride for a long period of time without stopping or doing any tricks. Off-road skateboarding takes place on uneven terrain on surfaces like dirt, sand, or gravel. There are no paved roads, or the ground is not flat.10,11
The Survey: Skateboarders’ Footwear Attitudes and Practices
We deployed a web-based survey to assess the demographics of skateboarding participants and their attitudes and practices regarding footwear. The sampled population included skateboarders aged 7 and older. Respondents were randomly recruited in person from skateboard competitions as well as posting the survey QR code or URL at a variety of skateboard clubs. Respondents accessed an online survey tool to anonymously complete the survey. The analysis in this document are descriptive statistics and comparisons of questions from the resulting dataset.
Age Group. Of the 113 respondents, 94.7% were above the age of 18. The following breakdown shows respondents by age group:
• 10–15 years: 8 (7.1%)
• 16–20 years: 9 (8.0%)
• 21–25 years: 27 (23.9%)
• 26–30 years: 42 (37.2%)
• 31–35 years: 16 (14.2%)
• 36 or more years: 11 (9.7%)
Gender. The survey respondents consisted of 66.4% identifying as male and 31.9% identifying as female. One respondent indicated that their identified gender was neither male nor female, and one respondent preferred not to answer.
With regards to demographics, most studies on skateboarding report the typical age of participation is quite young, with one source citing 50% of participants being 12–17 years old, and another reporting that 60% are less than 15 years of age.3,10-12 Given this, the authors were quite surprised that just over 5% of our respondents were under 18. Reasons for this may include that this age group would be very unlikely to take the time to fill out a survey requiring parental consent, and, as per our Insitutional Review Board (IRB) consent requirements are very onerous.
As far as gender, female participation in skateboarding is roughly 25%; however, this is trending upward.3,13 This study, likewise, found a large majority of respondents identified as male at 66.4% with females at 32%, possibly reflecting the trend of increasing female participation in the sport.
Style. Street, park and cruising were among the primary styles of skateboarding that the respondents participate in (Figure 1):
• Freestyle: 28 (24.8%)
• Vert: 16 (14.2%)
• Street: 61 (54.0%)
• Park: 48 (42.5%)
• Cruising: 62 (54.9%)
• Downhill: 11 (9.7%)
• Other: 4 (3.5%)
The most common style that this cohort participated in was cruising, which would seem consistent with the more casual degree of weekly skateboarding, and street which is inherently riskier for injury.11
Level of Skateboarding Expertise. Most respondents (56, or 49.6%) considered themselves intermediate skateboarders. Thirty-eight, or 33.6% percent, considered themselves beginners, and 19, or 16.8%, felt they were advanced in the sport.
Foot Arch. The survey asked the respondent to self-identify their foot arch as low (flat feet), normal, or high. Most (51, 55.4%) felt they had a normal arch, while 26 (28.3%) felt they had low arches or flat feet. Eleven respondents (12.0%) felt they had high arches, and 21 did not respond to this question. This breakdown reflects a higher degree of flat foot and cavus foot when compared to the general population, in which pes planus is reported at 17% and cavus foot 5%.14
Problems With Skateboard Shoes. Inconsistent sizing between brands (45, 39.8%) and lack of arch support (39, 34.5%) were the most commonly cited concerns in the survey. Lack of heel padding (33, 29.2%), toe box too narrow (32, 28.3%), lack of ankle support (31, 27.4%), and not enough board feel (29, 25.7%) were also reported. Moving down the list, the respondents also cited the shape of the shoe not fitting their foot shape (24, 21.2%), incorrect or too loose heel fit (23, 20.4%), toe box too wide (12, 10.6%), and incorrect heel fit/too tight (5, 4.4%). Ten respondents indicated that none of the shoe issues on the list applied to them.
Looking at reported problems with skateboard shoes, Figure 2 demonstrates a fairly even distribution of complaints with 6 issues all above 25% as per the respondents. However, a notable finding is that the most common complaint about the shoes is the inconsistent sizing between brands. This was also the top complaint about rock climbing shoes as reported by Jenkins and colleagues.15 As such, we feel it is a safe conclusion that most of the issues reported point to a need for better foot protection.
Style vs. Comfort. Thirty-six (41.3%) of respondents indicated they were very likely (11, 12.6%) or likely (25, 28.7%) to choose their skateboarding shoes based on style over fit/comfort. Twenty-seven (31.0%) respondents were neutral on the subject and 26 did not respond to this question.
Do skateboarders choose a shoe based on style or fit and comfort? Dogma claims style is most important. This query was one of great interest to the authors. The data reflects that indeed, this was the case among our respondents.
Satisfaction with Skateboard Shoes. Of those responding, 47 (54%) were either very satisfied (14, 16.1%) or satisfied (33, 37.9%) with currently available skateboarding shoes. Eleven (12.6%) were either unsatisfied (9, 10.3%) or very unsatisfied (2, 2.3%) with available options. Twenty-nine (33.3%) of those responding were neutral and 26 did not respond to this question.
As with the rock-climbing shoe study,15 one of the primary questions dealt with satisfaction with currently available shoes (Figure 3). Because of the large number of complaints about skateboard shoes expressed by survey respondents, the investigators were surprised to find such a low level (12.6%) of dissatisfaction with existing shoes.
Support. Among those responding, with regards to if their current skate shoe provides enough foot support, opinions were evenly split at 49.4% yes and 50.6% no. Above, when noting problems with shoes, lack of arch support was the second most common issue, so it is not surprising that more than half of the respondents claimed their shoes do not give enough support. This question, however, addresses support in general and not arch support specifically.
Free Response Questions. At the end of the survey respondents were asked to share thoughts on several additional questions on limitations, shortcomings, and problems with available skateboarding shoes. They were asked to comment on how they could be improved or better constructed, and how comfort could improve without sacrificing performance.
Feedback was varied, with the top 2 comments being that the shoes wear out too quickly (11 comments) and that there needs to be better arch support or more room for added arch support (10 comments). Other feedback included, but was not limited to, comments on fabric features and quality, cost concerns, lace issues, lack of support, need for more widths, and need for more padding in various parts of the shoe (Figure 4).
Favorite Skateboarding Shoe Brands. Respondents were also invited to share their favorite brand of skateboarding shoe (Figure 5). Vans was the top preferred shoe brand with 31 responses, followed by Nike (11 responses), and no favorite (7 responses). Converse and Lakai each earned 3 responses, while Sole Tech ES, New Balance, and Globe each had 2 responses. Four respondents indicated “others” were their favorite brand.
Limitations to Consider
We feel that the most glaring issue with this study was the very low number of responses. This was probably the result of a generally low response rate to surveys.16 The authors also believe the onerous consent for minors probably hurt participation by a large potential pool. Indeed, looking at the demographics where only about 5% of responders were under 18 strongly supports this premise. Therefore, this cohort is markedly out of sync with the typical skateboard population as stated above. Future study would benefit from developing a means to reach minor-aged skateboarders. The age demographics are so devoid of minors that this survey better represents a focus on an adult population in the sport.
Concluding Thoughts
Upon further analysis of the responses we had several additional findings that stood out to our team as impactful.
• There appears to be surprisingly high satisfaction with current skateboard shoes. We found that the age group of 26–30 years indicated that they are the most satisfied.
• The self-described “advanced” skaters appeared to be least satisfied with available skateboard shoes.
• The higher-than-expected satisfaction levels with skateboard shoes contrasted with the very high number of specific complaints and recommendations for improvement.
• The 2 most commonly reported problems with skateboarding shoes were inconsistent sizing and lack of arch support.
• Vans were overwhelmingly noted as the favorite shoe brand among respondents.
• Due to a very poor response rate by minors, this survey essentially assessed adults only.
Due to the increasing popularity of skateboarding, foot care providers as well as the skateboard community should learn about the various types of skateboard shoes and their characteristics. Those involved in skateboard shoe development and fabrication would also benefit from these findings, most especially the recommended improvements. The potential benefits from this survey and continued study will benefit not only skateboarders who participate, but also the skateboarding community as a whole, by providing ways skateboarding shoes can be improved for those who participate in the sport. Educating those that care for feet about shoe gear worn by those that skateboard is another goal. Indeed, implementing the suggested changes could play a role in improved performance, enhanced comfort, and potentially injury prevention.
The survey discussed in this piece was conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the Institutional Review Board of Midwestern University.
Dr. Jenkins is a Professor at the Arizona College of Podiatric Medicine, Midwestern University, in Glendale, AZ.
Dr. Wisbang is a third-year resident at Creighton University in Phoenix, AZ.
Dr. Tran is a first year Resident at Legacy Health in Portland, Oregon
Dr. Bolch is the Associate Director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) at Midwestern University in Glendale, AZ.
References
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